I have been in the cake business for about a year now and have mostly done cakes for family and friends, but reciently I started advertising my cakes to the public. Well the other day a lady called me wanting to know if I could do a birthday cake for her daughter, and of course I told her I could I just needed to know what she was wanting and arrange a time to meet with her about it. At that point it was like she turned in to a million question machine. She asked me every question in the book, and quite frankly some of them I wasnt comfortable answering. I tried to be polite with her and answer her questions on a need to know basis, but it was like that just wasnt good enough for her. She wanted to know where I bake my cakes, if the enviroment was clean, where I lived, what kind of cake mix I used, exactly when I would be baking the cakes, my icing recipe, if the cake would be moist, etc. She went on and on. I finally told her that I guarenteed my cakes to be moist and tasty and that if she wasnt satisfied all she had to do was let me know and I would accomidate her. Still she was not satisfied and came up with more questions. I finally got so discusted with her that I told her that I would not be able to do the cake because I didnt feel that I could please her. She got mad and hung up. Now the problem is that I am afraid that she will hurt my business by running her mouth about me.

This innocdent makes me wonder what is approprate information to give these people? I mean I dont want to answer qustions like that again, and I dont want to give unnessary information out. Anybody got any thoughts on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I just love this site, I spend so much time on here just reading all the forums. Thank you to all of you for making this site so great.

Possibly your competition looking for information that she could use to cause trouble for you (turning you into the health dept etc)? I don't know, sounds fishy to me. I think most genuine calls are strictly flavour, design and price related, or at least in my experience!

sounds like another baker trying to get some info on everything you do. I'm glad you turned her away even if she was just a lady asking way too many questions that shouldn't have even been asked, she would have been impossible to deal with in the long run.

i believe you did a great job sticking up for yourself

I think she had a few too many questions for anyone's comfort. She may or may not have been a competitor, but she certainly would have been a picky customer and would have found something to gripe about later on. You did well to turn her away.

I have thought about things like that. I personally would want to know that people bake in a clean enviroment (as I am sure everyone would want). I think she was a little overboard but when I start doing baking for the public I am going to do a sheet that they have to fill out and it will state that the enviroment that the cakes are baked in is clean and free from pests as well as have them fill out any food allergies that are known of the persons eating the cake. It will state that I do not give recipes but my cakes are moist and in order to be I do use items such as shortening and whole butters and sugars. This way it is written if anyone has health problems and should stay away from these items it is in the document and I can't be held liable for problems.

I don't know how I will word it yet but I prefer everything in writing. I don't like the he said she said things. You can't prove anything if it is not written.

You handled it perfectly fine. If people are so concerned about the cleaniness and everything else about it, they should just do it themselves. We don't go to a restaurant demanding to know exactly what they clean and how often, and if the food they cook is fresh, before we eat there. People who have those kind of issues don't eat out.

I would have done the same thing. Don't feel guilty! And I don't think she will hurt your business at all, once she tells anyone else the story, they will think she is the one that has the problem.

I hope I've helped! Keep your chin up

Sounds to me like another baker as well. I've taken more of those calls than I have customers since I got my license and was able to start advertising. The other one that you can tell if they're someone who is another baker or checking in on you from the Health Dept. is if they ask WHERE you do your baking. Like I rent kitchen space for my cakes from my in-laws. When I'm in there, the space is immaculate. If you saw it before, or two days after I was done baking and I'm not in the space, it's not kept the same way during the off-season by the other traffic going through there.

The key in telling the difference is when they know too much about cakes when you mention business technical jargon. You can say you use a frosting recipe from scratch and you'd be happy to answer any allergen ingredient questions like your icing containing dairy (if it does), because people know the specific ingredient allergies (people know if they're allergic to peanuts!), but that's all that you need to answer. It's not the mix they're paying for as much as it is your time to do everything.

I guess, personally, I don't care if a bakery uses a mix, it's what they do with it that makes a difference. Same goes for frosting..

Since I'm a one wo/man operation. I don't have time to sit and answer question, all my free time is here.lol.

Once they start to become repetitive, I ask them nicely if they would like to come in and talk to me.

That usually shuts them up quickly.

I had a man call me and ask me questions like that..not about my cleanliness..but other questions...
it turned out to be like a franchise of Naughty cakes..he liked my work and wanted to know if he could fax me some orders..

I'm still waiting....lol

Sounds all too snoopy for me. I catered out of my home before and know what competition can do. To me it just shows you are better and there are scared comp out there. Keep up the good work. You go girl.

I think it sounds like another baker checking up on you.

If people ask about the environment, just tell them you are required by law to follow certain food safety rules, and by common sense would follow those rules anyway. The state wouldn't license you if they didn't have full confidence in your abilities to produce a safe product for your customers.

As far as recipes go, if someone wants to know allergy info, they can tell me what they're allergic to and I'll tell them if they can eat it. My recipes are top secret! If they are concerned with flavor or moistness, I assure them they are sooooo much better than bakery in town whose cakes have a reputation for being dry as a cork. And if they want to taste test, come on over! I'll throw some cupcakes in the oven for ya! You bring the bottle we'll wash it down with!

Thanks everyone for the help and support. Reading your responces has really helped me come up with ways of handling situations like this in the future.

It could have just been an OCD mom or something...I've had a couple people who just seem obsessed about every detail of some birthday cake. And that's fine...but I'm not talking wedding or something big, I'm talking birthday cake! A few have been really concerned how the cake would taste, etc. I mean if they are that worried, I would just tell them that they don't sound comfortable enough to order from you and maybe they should go where they feel more comfortable.

Well I think it sounds odd too. Besides who would tell anyone if they did bake in an unclean kitchen??? I mean really would someone say Oh yes I have a dirty kitchen, rats running around and smoke while I"m baking your cake? Come on. What a dumb question to ask.

Also, "are your cakes moist?" Another dumb question. Do they really think you would say "No my cakes are over cooked and dry as a bone"

To me if I was going to order from someone I would want to meet them in person, see the place they bake out and then decide if I want to order from them.

Haha yeah, I have to laugh when people say "Do your cakes taste good?"

I mean its like, what, "Well, no...but people buy them anyway!"

I guess I would show my kitchen if someone asked but it would have to be a special appointment. Think about it, you rarely get to inspect where any sort of baking is done.

I work at an upscale caterer p/t and to be honest, I feel like my kitchen (even though I have three little boys) is probably overall cleaner than where I work. I bet actually most baking homes are cleaner than most regular grocery store bakeries, etc.

You know what really gets me about this whole deal is that I run a restaurat, and this woman has ate in my restaurant before (I know this because she told me) and if she is so worried about the environment that I bake my cakes in, then why isnt she worried about the environment that her food is cooked in at the restaurant.

If she trust that I will abide by the health laws in my restaurant why would you think that I wouldnt abide by them when baking cakes.

It surly sound to me like a competitive baker! I once had this woman contact me she asked the exact same questions! She asked me my recipe for my fondant and butter cream and cleanliness and everything. I told her that she could drop by my shop and see where the cakes are prepared and I would not give her my recipes. I told her that I use only the best real butter and all. Then a few days later she came into my shop and took pics with her phone she did not even ask if she could I was working with a loyal customer and was busy. Then I asked my loyal customer if she minded to wait a minute and she said sure she could sense I was uncomfortable with her taking pics and so I stopped her to ask if I could help. She said she called earlier and I remembered her then when she insisted I give her my recipes for cakes, icing and fondant. I got miffed and told her that I could give her a list of ingredients and that is all. I found out later by my loyal customer that she stopped her at the gas station down the road soliciting business. She told her that she had used me for years and would not want to change. Whoo Whoo for loyalty. I was later visited by the HD, Someone mysterious called them to report a bug/rodent problem. Ha Ha on her, my hubby is a civil engineer and designed my building especially to be rodent and pest free. I have never had these problems and the health inspector knew this when he got the call. I have had a standing A+ since I have opened! I am not one to get even. I figure that it is not that important I am not going to sink to this one's level. I am just sorry that people have to be this way. There are enough people who need our goods we don't have to fight over it and get ugly!

i think it's an OCD person too....i have these from time to time...and for me it works out not to do business with them...too much grief for too little money...i find there's a happier person right behind them to take thier place.

i turn down business all the time...and it hasn't hurt me at all.